The Lost One Chapter 10, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reviewing the previous chapter. This chapter ran away with itself, so there you go… a long one. Make yourself comfortable!

The Lost One by elle6778 – Chapter 10

"You don't need to accompany me back to Yugakure, Itsuki."

Itachi regarded her silently, but Sakura was not looking at him. There was a flush to her cheeks and she seemed to be finding it difficult to meet his eyes. He suffered no such reservations, and was content to study her, his eyes moving from her darting eyes, to her kiss-swollen lips down to her white-knuckled grip on her pack.

She was clearly affected by their encounter.

As for him, he had found it… pleasing.

They had spent a considerable time in a physical embrace, and he had no complaints, even though he had a feeling that he was not accustomed to such indulgences in the past. In fact, he had been more than willing to continue what they had been doing.

However, Sakura had pulled away, claiming that she had to return to Yugakure. And since then, she had been unable to make direct eye contact with him. Her actions suggested she was, once again, attempting to flee, the way she had done after the festival, despite the fact that she had all but asked him for the kiss.

This time, he had no intention of allowing her to do so. This time, he did not wish to leave anything unresolved before they parted company.

Hence his offer to accompany her back to Yugakure.

At his continued silence, she flicked an uncertain glance at him before insisting, "I can get back without an escort."

"One could suppose that you do not wish for my company," he pointed out flatly.

Her lips parted in surprise, and she stumbled back a couple of steps. "W-What? Well… No… It's not…" she trailed off, her brows furrowing in what appeared to be confusion.

Itachi smiled inwardly at the endearing picture she presented. It was surprisingly easy to unsettle her, particularly when it involved this personal issue between them. "Perhaps you're already regretting our encounter?" he pressed mildly.

Her lips parted again and then closed as she blinked incredulously at him. "W-What are you talking about?" she choked out, clearly flustered. "I… I asked you to, remember?"

The verbal admission brought forth a surge of pleasure, for reasons he could not quite understand. He took a step towards her, bringing them so close that he could almost feel the warmth radiating from her body. As he watched, her flush deepened and her eyes widened.

"Yes, you did," he agreed softly, his appreciation clearly evident in his tone.

Silence descended upon them then. She bit her lip, drawing his eyes to her reddened flesh.

The urge to pull her into his arms arose, and Itachi only took a moment to consider the notion before he reached for her. Considering her agitation, he was pleasantly surprised when she tilted her head up to meet him halfway.

Their kiss was softer this time, more tentative and subdued, but its effect was not any milder on him. The heady sensation was still present, only dissipating when they pulled away from each other, their breaths equally uneven. It occurred to him then that he could easily be addicted to the sensation.

"I'd better go now," she murmured breathlessly.

"You don't have to."

She blinked once, and then a flash of darkness crossed her features, as if she was recalling something unpleasant. And then she gave him a pained smile. "I have to. There's something I need to do back in Yugakure."

He inclined his head. "Come, then."

Her eyes widened slightly. "I mean it. You don't need to walk me back. It's going to take you another half a day at least to get back here."

Her concern was touching, but a day or so of travel would not faze him. Without giving her a verbal response, he pressed his hand against the small of her back, pushing her in the direction of Yugakure. Her body stiffened momentarily, as if she was unused to the contact, and it took a while for her to relax. Only then did she begin to take steps forward, and he fell into rhythm beside her.

For a long while, they travelled in a comfortable silence. There was no sound around them aside from the rustle of damp leaves underfoot. Itachi allowed his eyes to wander as they travelled. The weather was turning wetter as spring arrived, and the trees were beginning to sprout fresh green leaves, a nice change from the frigid, dark winter.

"Aren't they going to miss you?"

Her sudden question made him turn to look at her, an eyebrow raised. "Who?"

"The villagers. You're supposed to watch over what I'm doing in the cave, right? That usually doesn't take more than a day or two." Her eyes remained fixed on the ground as she continued to walk. "So, will they not get worried when you don't return to the village?"

His lips twitched. Only Sakura would be concerned about something as minor as that. "Doubtful," he replied. "I'm able to take care of myself.

"Oh… Okay."

Another bout of silence descended upon them, but this time, it was thick with unspoken questions. The realization put him on edge and he slanted a questioning look at her, even though she was still studying her own footsteps. The deep furrow between her brows urged him to press her for an explanation.

"What is bothering you, Sakura?" he asked directly.

Her eyes shot up, the emerald orbs flashing in surprise. "What?"

"Something is on your mind, is it not?" he asked mildly. "Do you wish to speak of it?"

She appeared to be struggling with something, from the way the light in her eyes was flickering uncertainly. Impatiently, Itachi pulled to a stop, reaching out for her arm to halt her movements as well. They would resolve this now, for he had no intention of travelling for the next few hours in an uncomfortable silence.

"Tell me," he instructed, holding her worried gaze.

Sakura expelled a long, resigned breath, sending her pink hair fluttering upwards as she did so. "Now what?"

He raised a questioning brow at her, uncertain of what she was asking.

She gestured at him, and then back at herself. "What are we, Itsuki?"

Ah, so that was what the problem was. She was uncertain of how their relationship had shifted. He ran his eyes over her features, and instantly knew that she needed some reassurance. But he knew that in truth, he had no answer for her. The situation was not one he had encountered before.

"Is there a need to define it in words?" he returned instead.

Pursing her lips, she stared at him assessingly before saying, with a resigned huff, "I guess you're right. We can just… see where this goes."

"Indeed."

"I just… don't want to misunderstand, you know?" she said rather haltingly, eyes once again downcast.

He reached out to tilt her chin up until they made eye-contact again. "You worry too much, Sakura."

She gave him a baleful look.

Smirking slightly, he went on in an attempt to put her at ease, "I find your company pleasing, and I only wish to maintain it."

Her brows furrowed again. "Maintain?"

Itachi chided himself inwardly. He had just made it sound as if he did not wish to move on further with their relationship. Amending his words quickly, he clarified, "No, not maintain. I wish to improve on the… personal aspect."

She blinked slowly at him, making him wonder if he had made yet another error in his choice of words. He doubted that he was particularly well-versed at such things even in his previous, unknown life. Personal interactions did not seem to be something he was comfortable with, even now, which made it even more surprising that he wanted to be close to this pink-haired kunoichi.

And then Sakura beamed mischievously, and her entire countenance making a complete turnabout. She all but glowed as she drawled, "Why, that's probably the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me."

Somehow, Itachi had a feeling that he was being teased. Uncertain of the appropriate way to respond to such a thing, he promptly changed the topic. "Now that we've resolved your anxiety, perhaps you'd like to continue travelling?"

A chuckle left her as he turned to walk in the direction of Yugakure. But before he could take more than a few steps, he felt her arm sliding through his, before she affixed the side of her body to his. Her unexpectedly affectionate gesture made him glance down at her to find her still smiling widely.

Arms linked, they made their way across the forest. The journey was once again made mostly in silence, but it was not an uncomfortable one. Both of them seemed content enough that they were in each other's presence.

All too soon, the gates of Yugakure loomed before them, much to Itachi's dissatisfaction. They would part company soon, and the notion that he would have to wait for another week to pass before he could see her did not sit well with him.

So, when they stopped just at the edge of the forest, he asked, "What is your work schedule next week?"

She looked at him, seemingly surprised. And then her expression cleared when she comprehended the reason for his question. Then she smiled, a wide stretch of her lips which brightened her face, an expression which seemed to draw him increasingly closer to her. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to capture this brightness that was Sakura.

"Well, I have Saturdays off, usually," she told him, almost shyly.

He inclined his head. Today was Wednesday. "Meet me outside Yugakure's gates at noon this Saturday."

She seemed surprised. And then, slowly, she nodded.

"We will go for lunch."

"Okay," she responded with a small smile.

And then, of her own volition, she raised herself up on tiptoes, and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. He had to resist the urge to run his tongue over them as she lowered herself, and took a step backwards from him. Her cheeks were flushed pink when she finally spun around and sprinted towards the gates of Yugakure.

Leaving Itachi to smile at her departing figure.

000

Pushing a strand of messy pink hair behind her ear, Sakura scowled at her reflection in the window of her laboratory. When she turned around to see the Shinjutama samples lined up on the scrolls, her scowl deepened further.

She had made only a pitiful amount of progress ever since the commencement of the test this morning. It had been difficult for her to focus. And as much as she would like to blame someone else for her distraction, she knew that it was not fair to do so. After all, it was not as if Itsuki had forced her to think about him.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she ran her fingers through her pink locks, messing them up even further. Things had gone so well between her and Itsuki that she wondered if the whole thing was a dream. The kiss they had shared yesterday was so heated, so passionate that it completely struck everything else out of her mind. She had lost herself in it; lost herself in him.

And just as she had decided to take things as it came, assuming what Itsuki wanted was just a casual relationship considering his reluctance to define what they were embarking upon, he had dropped the bombshell.

A date.

He had asked her on a date. Not in so many words, but his meaning was clear.

Her lips curved into a smile as her scowl disappeared. This was by no means her first date, but it was a first one with a civilian. She did not recall feeling so giddy about her other dates though, and this made her feel foolish and immature. Still, something told her that this would be different, that Itsuki would be different from her other dates, and it was not just because he was a civilian.

It was Thursday today, so she had a couple more days to go through before the event. In the meantime, she should really stop thinking about it. She had work to do here.

Focus, Sakura. Focus.

Steeling herself, she crossed the span of the laboratory, stopping only when she reached the cabinet at the end of the space. There, she unlocked the door to retrieve a vial of her blood which she had stored yesterday. The old blood versus fresh blood test made it necessary for her to extract more blood today, she thought with a grimace.

With the vial held carefully in her hand, Sakura went to the long table in the middle of the room and began to set out the necessary equipments, placing fragments of the Shinjutama she had collected yesterday on the detection scrolls that had been inked with black seals. It would tell her the characteristics of the fragments soon enough.

With the aid of a kunai, she quickly acquired a vial of fresh blood. Methodically, she placed droplets of blood from both vials on the Shinjutama fragments, until she was satisfied that she had enough to get a good read of the gemstone's behavior.

Part of her did not want to know, if she was honest with herself. The fact that the gemstones seemed to increase in strength merely from the blood of any living being suggested a dark background to it. But she needed to know. The academic side of her needed to know.

She performed the necessary seals almost automatically, and watched as the seals inked on the scrolls reacted to the jutsu. Her chakra fed into it, and it flared brightly as she took in the results, grimacing as she did so.

It was not as if she did not expect it, but to have it confirmed in such a manner was not really pleasant. The Shinjutama behaved differently under the influence of her blood. Instead of absorbing the red fluid, the small spot of blood remained intact, pooling around the shiny gemstone. So, it suggested that those with Shinju blood was unaffected adversely by the Shinjutama.

Which made sense, she supposed. After all, she could get through the barrier of the Shinjutama, enough to harvest it. The village's head-sized Shinjutama came to mind then, and she wondered if she could breach the village barrier as well.

Suddenly, the scrolls flared brighter.

Sakura's eyes immediately widened at the unexpected change. Greatly perplexed now, she assessed the results once again, only to find that the Shinjutama's strength was increasing at a rate she had not seen before in the previous tests. But this time, the gemstone was not absorbing the blood. It was doing something else, she noted intently. Threads of greenish-blue strands of what she guessed were chakra was sucked off her scroll, where she had infused her chakra earlier. As she watched, the threads of chakra swirled up into the tiny puddle of her blood before the Shinjutama absorbed it hungrily.

Her chakra.

The Shinjutama ate her chakra.

The Shinjutama fragments were now glowing brighter than before. She grimaced at the realization that they had grown much stronger on her chakra alone, instead of her blood. What did this mean? That if given the chance, the Shinjutama would suck her chakra dry? It did not make sense, because if that was the case, how was she able to harvest the gemstones so far without any detrimental effect on herself?

Perhaps…

Her eyes went to the blood the gemstone fragment was lying in as she speculated. Perhaps her blood acted like a conductor. After all, the Shinjutama reacted to the blood of others, so it made sense that it would react with her blood as well. Just in a different manner. Instead of gaining strength from blood, it absorbed chakra from Shinju blood instead.

So, if she was to embed the Shinjutama inside her body, it would… store her chakra?

Expelling a hiss of frustration, she watched the sample with narrowed eyes, waiting for it to do something else. It annoyed her that she could only speculate. There was no way to confirm what the Shinjutama was doing with her chakra. At least, not without risking herself.

A series of taps sounded on the door to her laboratory, making her start.

"Haruno-san?"

Tamping down her irritation at the interruption, she called out, "Yes?"

"There is a… uh…" The person at the other side of the door paused, almost as if he was embarrassed.

"What is it?" Sakura prompted, trying not to sound impatient.

"There is a… rabbit here to see you."

Sakura blinked once, and then twice.

Rabbit?

And then her eyes widened in realization. It must be an animal summon, sort of like Tsunade's slugs and Jiraiya and Naruto's toads. But rabbit? Whose summon was a rabbit? She had no clue.

"Come in," she invited curiously. "The door is not locked."

The door creaked open, and in hopped a fluffy white and grey rabbit. Sakura had to bite back the urge to coo at the sight of the adorable creature, with its cute rounded cheeks and twitching whiskers. Behind the rabbit stood a Yugakure genin, who still looked rather bewildered by the sight of the rabbit. Especially when the creature rose up to its hind legs and opened its mouth.

"I have a message for Haruno Sakura." The rabbit eyed her carefully with its dark eyes. "You fit the description."

She nodded, biting back a smile. Then, realizing that the message might be confidential, she turned her attention to the Yugakure genin. "You can leave now."

The boy practically jumped. "Huh? Oh… okay."

And then he backed away from the laboratory, shutting the door behind him. When Sakura turned her eyes back to the rabbit, the creature had jumped up onto the nearest table. Thankfully, it was not the one with her samples.

"Who sent you?" she asked.

"My master," he replied.

Sakura raised a brow. "And who is that?"

"It's not important. He's affiliated with the ink user."

Ink user? Sakura frowned, running through the faces in her mind. The only one she knew who used ink was Sai. "Sai?" she ventured tentatively.

The rabbit nodded solemnly. "Yes. Sai. Dark hair. Dark eyes."

The first thought that came to her mind was that Sai did not have that many friends, as far as she knew. Apart from Kakashi, Naruto, Yamato and herself, she did not think that he even knew the rest of her usual group of friends. Unless, this particular friend of his was a Root operative.

She tensed, instantly suspicious.

The rabbit no longer seemed so cute.

"What's the message?" she asked carefully.

The rabbit twitched, and then, to her amazement, hacked up something which looked like a black pellet. "Take it."

Sakura eyed the pellet with no small amount of misgiving.

"Release the jutsu and you will see the message. I need to leave now," the rabbit said, and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura stared for a few moments at the dissipating cloud of smoke, and then placed the pellet down on the table, and then performed the usual seals to reveal hidden objects. Almost immediately, chakra crackled around the pallet, and then it burst into its true form.

A sheet of paper.

She peered at the words, and a soft smile gradually curved her lips.

It was from Sai. There was certainly no mistaking his 'tone'.

'Hag. I have come across news that you might find interesting. You no longer need to look for him. He's looking for you.'

Sakura blinked at the words, barely understanding what it said. Him? Who was Sai referring to? Someone she had been looking for. Someone male, so not Tsunade or Shizune. So…

A gasp escaped her lips.

Sasuke. Sai was talking about Sasuke. And Sasuke was looking for her?

Why?

000

Saturday saw Itachi standing by the gates of Yugakure, waiting patiently for Sakura to emerge from the village compound. He was a little early, but then again, he always had the propensity to do so. The feeling of being late did not suit him.

However, he wished that he had not been early this time, for he could hardly avoid the curious looks directed at him from the two guards at the gates. Still, he could ignore them.

"So, you're Haruno-san's boyfriend, huh?" a brown-haired shinobi in his late teens asked.

Itachi simply nodded, quickly running his eyes over the one who had spoken, noting that he was most likely a chuunin like his partner, a blue-haired nin. He sensed no ill-intent from them, and decided that they were just curious.

"But you're a civilian, right?" the blue-haired one asked this time.

"Yes," Itachi replied blandly.

The brown-haired chuunin made a face, leaning against the closed gates behind him. "You're so lucky. You have no idea how many of us wants to-"

His words were cut short by his partner's elbows. "Shut up."

A sheepish look crossed his face. "Sorry."

The notion that there were men eyeing Sakura in Yugakure did not sit well with Itachi, even though it was to be expected. She was an attractive, intelligent kunoichi, after all, despite the occasional wariness and aggressiveness, which he now recognized as her kunoichi façade. Perhaps that façade of hers had kept suitors away so far. But if he could see through it to the softer heart of hers, then others could too, could they not? The notion left a distasteful taste on his tongue.

Fortunately, before the unpleasant thoughts continued, Itachi sensed her approach.

A moment later, the gates swung open slowly, courtesy of two other guards on the other side. The brown-haired chuunin leapt out of the way before the swinging gate pushed him over, and stood some distance away with his partner to watch the gate open completely.

Itachi watched with amusement when Sakura stumbled out of the open gates, laughing sheepishly at her own clumsiness as she tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were tinted with a heightened color as she walked towards him, a smile on her lips. He noted that like him, she had forgone her usual attire. She was now clad in a long-sleeved forest-green dress and a pair of sensible civilian footwear. It made her look more feminine, softer, he noted with appreciation. And even more beautiful.

"Hi," she greeted almost shyly. "Sorry I'm late."

"It was only six minutes," he pointed out mildly, refraining from smiling.

Her lips parted and her eyes rounded. "You were counting?" she asked, aghast.

His smile broke free of its retrain, and he reached out to rest his hand at the back of her waist. "Come."

"Have fun, Haruno-san!" the chuunin yelled in unison as they walked away, causing Sakura to blush.

"Honestly," she muttered. "You'd think that they have nothing else better to do."

"You know them well?" he asked curiously as they walked towards the forest, his hand falling to his side.

"Umm…" she paused, as if wondering what she should say. Eventually, she replied, "I don't know them that well. We're not exactly friends outside of our profession."

"Aa," he murmured in comprehension. "Acquaintances, then."

"That's right."

She sounded a little hesitant, almost as if she was not too certain of that either. How odd.

"You have lived in Yugakure for more than a year," he pointed out. "I had assumed that you knew them well."

She shook her head, and let out a humorless chuckle. "The circumstances don't really permit such a thing."

Sensing that she was not fully comfortable with the topic of conversation, he decided not to press her for further details. Besides, he did not wish to begin their day out with Sakura feeling bothered. He intended for her to take pleasure out of this day, and it was not something he wished to compromise.

Very much like the trip they had taken several days ago, they walked in silence, simply enjoying the fresh air and the sounds of the forest. His hand felt emptier than before, and it did not take him long to realize why. Seeking to remedy the problem, he promptly reached out to entwine his fingers lightly around hers. Much to his pleasure, she reciprocated by tightening her grip.

"Where are we going?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"It is about an hour's walk away," he told her, darted a glance at her to find her nodding at him. "I trust you'd be hungry by the time we arrive."

"You bet!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "It's not everyday that I get a free meal."

The corner of his lips twitched. "You assumed I would pay?"

She pulled to a stop, forcing him to halt along with her. The look she gave him was a mix of delight and mock affront. "What kind of date makes the woman pay?" she groused, releasing his hand to cross her arms over her chest. Her emerald orbs were twinkling as she glared at him.

Smirking inwardly, he tilted his head slightly to one side, regarding her intently. "And why should the man pay?" he asked mildly.

She blinked, as if she had never truly considered the question before. The bewildered look on her face was enough to draw a soft chuckle from him. "Well…"

"Come on, Sakura," he urged before she could come up with some excuse, taking her hand once again. "Or we will be late."

A loud huff left her, but she followed him readily.

000

Itsuki had said that it would take them an hour to arrive.

In actuality, it had taken them a little more than that, but she found herself unable to complain when she stepped into a bamboo-enclosed compound. From the outside, she did not know what to expect, but now that she had stepped beyond the tall boundary walls, she could do nothing but dart her widened eyes from one thing to another.

The bamboo enclosed a large area dotted with many little hot springs, each surrounded by smooth rocks, and scattered around these were polished round stone tables with stone seats. Although it was not strictly needed, beautiful handcrafted bamboo lanterns decorated the center of each table. The hot springs and seating areas were linked by many white and grey pebbled footpaths. She could even see a couple of tiny bridges arching over the narrower hot springs.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, awed by the sight.

Itsuki tugged lightly at her hand, drawing her attention away from the outdoor seating area to the main bamboo structure further down the pebbled path. She shot a glance at him to find him looking at her with an expression which could only be described as affectionate.

She swallowed hard.

He broke their gaze abruptly, as if he had realized what he had inadvertently revealed. His expression was bland again when inclined his head at the single-storey bamboo structure. "We will be dining there."

She allowed him to lead her to the structure, her eyes darting in all directions, pleased by what she was seeing. The place was seriously beautiful, and she did not understand why no one had mentioned it to her so far.

Soon, she found herself stepping up wooden steps and into the building. A lady dressed in a traditional kimono directed them to a window area, where a table was set with two place settings. A warm hand, Itsuki's hand, applied a pressure at the back of her waist, urging her in that direction.

Once there, she sat down on the comfortable cushion, and stared out at the breathtaking landscape surrounding the building. The curls of steam rising from the hotsprings made the entire place look surreal and dreamlike, and she sighed in contentment.

"I didn't even know this place existed," she murmured, not taking her eyes away from the scenery.

"Perhaps you've been working too hard then."

A wry smile curved her lips as she turned to face him. "Maybe." She swept her gaze over the area again, feeling like she simply could not get enough of it. "How did you find this place, anyway?"

"It had only been recently reopened."

"It was closed?" she asked, surprised that something like this had shut down.

A waitress, dressed in a traditional kimono, came by, interrupting them. Her smile was polite but Sakura could see the admiration in her eyes when her gaze landed on Itsuki. It annoyed her a little, but she supposed that was to be expected, considering her own attraction towards that man. Fortunately, the waitress was respectful enough to just take their orders, and then left them to their privacy.

Resuming their conversation, she asked, "You said this place was only recently reopened?"

"Yes." He poured tea for both of them before continuing, "The war made it dangerous for them to keep such a place open."

She almost winced when she realized which war he was talking about. "Sorry," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

He only flicked a curious look at her, sipping his tea and then placing the cup on the table soundlessly before he asked, "Why are you apologizing, Sakura?"

"The war. It was Konoha that brought the war here," she pointed out.

"Aa." He gave her a thoughtful look, and then continued, "I doubt you would have been able to stop it, so it is meaningless for you to apologize."

She sighed. "Maybe we should change the subject," she suggested, not wanting the topic to spoil her date.

"Very well, Sakura. What do you wish to speak about?"

Grinning at the opening he had given her, she asked, "So, tell me. When you're not stalking innocent foreign kunoichi, what do you like to do?"

"It is hardly stalking." He gave her an amused smirk. "I perform tasks for the village, as you know."

"Aside from that?" she asked, wanting to know more about him.

"I eat, rest-"

She cut him off with an impatient huff. "That's not what I mean. And you know it."

His smirk morphed into a genuine smile. "You know more than you think about me, Sakura."

"Such as."

"I like to read."

She blinked in realization. "Oh, yes." And then she chuckled softly. "Classical romance, right? You know, I still can't get over it."

"There is more to it than romance. Perhaps you should sample one and decide for yourself," he suggested, clearly unperturbed by her teasing.

"Maybe one day. I prefer mysteries actually."

"A spillover from your profession, perhaps?"

Realizing that he was making the comparison between solving medical and research problems and her liking for mysteries, she nodded in agreement. "Never thought of it like that, but I guess you're right. There is something really satisfying about it, you know." Tilting her head slightly in question, she asked, "Have you read any mysteries?"

He nodded. "I find them rather impersonal, although most of them provide a good sense of closure. In a way, that is rather unrealistic."

She rolled her eyes. "It's supposed to be entertaining, not realistic."

"Indeed."

The soft footsteps reached them, just as the waitress appeared with a tray of their food. Sakura leaned back from the table, belatedly realizing that both her and Itsuki had leaned towards each other over the table as they conversed.

"Here we go," the waitress murmured politely as she placed the delicate plates and bowls filled with delicious smelling food on the table, arranging them artfully. "Please enjoy your meal."

And with that, she took her leave.

Sakura's mouth watered as she eyed the tantalizing display before her.

"You may start."

Her eyes snapped up to find Itsuki smirking at her in amusement. Her lips twitched when she realized just how hungry she must have looked, eyeing the food like that. But somehow, she could not bring herself to feel self-conscious.

Reaching for the chopsticks, she beamed at him. "Itadakimasu!"

Itsuki inclined his head, murmured the same, and they both dug into their meals.

000

Their outing ended too soon, in Itachi's opinion, although it would be unreasonable for him to expect more since it was already close to midnight. After the extended, relaxed lunch, they had visited the town nearby where he had enjoyed Sakura's delight in the many stalls scattered in the marketplace. He had been surprised to find out that she had not explored the country that much, despite having lived in it for more than a year.

And now, standing at Sakura's front door, Itachi was unsurprised to find himself reluctant to leave her. He did not have to ask if she had been pleased by the outing, for her glowing expression and satiated smile was enough to inform him that she had not been disappointed. What amazed him most was the pleasure he felt at the knowledge that Sakura had been delighted.

"Thank you. I really had fun," she told him.

"You're welcomed."

Her eyes darted away from him to the inky dark sky, and then returned swiftly. "You're heading back to the village?"

His lips quirked when he noted the slight hesitation in her question. "I doubt it would be appropriate for me to stay overnight here."

A blush crept up visibly from her neck to her cheeks. "Ah…" she faltered, licking her lips, a move which sent a jolt of desire through him. "You could stay, I suppose."

He was surprised by her words, and it must have been obvious even without him saying anything, for she quickly added, "To sleep. Just to sleep."

Amused by her fluster, he decided to put her at ease. "No. It is best that I return to the village."

"Oh, okay."

She sounded relieved and disappointed at the same time. It was rather endearing.

Reaching out, he trailed a feather-light stroke from the side of her cheeks to her neck, watching as her eyes darkened with unmistakable desire. At the same time, the smile she now wore displayed a hint of shyness as she reached out to link her hands behind his neck. The shyness and boldness were oddly contradictory, but he found that the mix suited her.

She tilted her head up as he dipped lower, and their lips met halfway. The kiss was brief, but Itachi found himself trembling slightly as he worked to refrain from pushing her through the door to take their physical intimacy to another level. It was definitely too soon for such a progression, and instinctively he knew that it was not wise to rush this.

They pulled back at the same time, and Itachi was pleased to note that her cheeks were even redder now.

"Safe trip back," she murmured.

He inclined his head. "Sleep well. We will meet in a few days."

"Okay."

And with that, she turned to unlock her door, slipping through when it opened. She waved at him with a small smile on her lips, and then closed the door with a subtle click.

Only then did Itachi begin to walk away from her small house, heading towards the main gates of Yugakure. As always, while he was in the vicinity or within the compound, Itachi had to suppress his natural reflex to tread lightly on the ground. Instead, he made sure to walk heavily like a typical civilian, grinding the gravels under his boots loudly as he left the village. The shinobi there did not strike him as being skillful, but there was no reason to take the risk.

Once he had passed the treeline forming a border between Yugakure and the forest surrounding it, he allowed himself to walk more naturally. He was far enough that the Yugakure shinobi would not be able to tell the difference.

As Itachi made his way in the direction of his village, various thoughts ran through his mind.

First and foremost were the Yugakure journeys he had made and would make in the future now that he and Sakura were growing closer. He would be travelling there more frequently than was wise, considering that he had been attempting to avoid direct contact with shinobi in general so far. Clearly, this new development with Sakura was leading him to embark on potentially dangerous things. What was worse was the fact that he could not bring himself to stop it.

There was something about her that drew him in and made him overlook about the other major issue in his life, namely the retrieval of his memories. In fact, ever since the relationship had progressed, he rarely dwelled upon the need to regain his past. He supposed his avoidance could be attributed to the knowledge that so far, his flashes of memories had been predominantly unpleasant, which suggested that the same could be said about his past. So why dredge it up when he was… happy… as he was right now?

Still, Itachi knew himself well enough to be certain that eventually, he would need to know what had happened to him. Perhaps for now, that particular objective of his could take a back seat to the flourishing of his personal relationship. At the moment, he relished the notion of simply going where the flow took him, instead of worrying about the future or the past.

He had barely travelled any distance away from Yugakure when his senses alerted him that there was another presence some distance away, moving swiftly towards the shinobi village. Immediately, he stilled, his breathing slow and even as he expanded his senses further in the attempt to locate the anomaly.

When he did, his eyes narrowed at the prickling sensation that assaulted him. There was someone there, someone whose chakra was very familiar. Its owner's identity flirted at the edge of his subconscious, but Itachi was unable to grasp it, much to his annoyance.

Should he remain or should he leave?

If he was to remain to catch sight of this person, then the encounter might trigger more of his memories. However, he would run the risk of detection, for it was clear that this shinobi was not a minor one, judging from his dark, heavy chakra, evident even under concealment.

If he was to leave, then this would be an avenue of information that he discarded just like that. Was he willing to do so? His earlier thoughts came back to him, and in the light of this, Itachi realized that he would not be too disappointed at the loss of this opportunity. The day he had spent had been too pleasurable to have it darkened by his uncertain past.

In the end, Itachi simply cast one final look at the direction the chakra was coming from, mind made up. Deciding on the latter option, he continued to walk, subtly increasing the strength of his chakra mask as he did so and continued on his way, without another backward glance.

000

Having separated from Itsuki at her front door, Sakura sighed contentedly as she stepped into her house. She had to admit that Itsuki had exceeded her expectations, and that was a rarity in itself considering just how often she found herself disappointed with the small handful of dates she had experienced in Konoha and Suna.

She was still smiling distractedly as she crossed the living room towards her bedroom, intending to change out of the dress she had worn on the date. However, the approach of someone stilled her movements, and she turned in the direction of the door just as a series of knocks sounded.

"Haruno-san!"

She yanked open the door, to find herself face to face with a flushed chuunin. The young kunoichi had obviously been rushing to get here.

"Yes?"

"There's someone at the gate for you," she announced breathlessly.

Sakura frowned, wondering who could it be. "Itsuki?"

The younger girl shook her head, sending her red curls bouncing around her face. "No. Someone different. I don't recognize him."

Cautiously, she asked, "Did he say his name?"

"No. He just said that you'd want to see him."

It could not be ANBU Root then, Sakura speculated. Perhaps someone from Konoha was passing by? No wait, she doubted that since Suna, they knew where Danzou had posted her. The old bastard had been trying to make sure that she was segregated from the rest of Konoha, seeing that she was the missing Godaime's apprentice. He wouldn't want Konoha to be reminded of their dearest Godaime, after all now, would he?

"Haruno-san?"

Jolted out of her less-than-pleasant mental ranting, she turned her attention back to the waiting redheaded chuunin. "He's at the gate, you said?"

The chuunin nodded.

"Thank you for the message. I'll go now to see what he wants."

With a smile, the chuunin waved at her before sprinting off.

Sakura walked at a more sedate pace, but it did not take her long to reach the village's main gate. There, a couple of chuunin guards were joking raucously with each other, barely sparing her a glance as she walked out. It occurred to her then that perhaps Kobayashi, Yugakure's leader, should really increase the level of discipline in her shinobi ranks. One day, they could be attacked again, and once again, they would be unprepared.

Still, it was not her job to advice the foreign village's leader on how to run her shinobi village. She had enough of her own problems with Konoha.

Sakura's thoughts broke off once she was out of the gate. There was no one in the immediate vicinity, but she could see the outline of a man in the distance, at the edge of the forest, hidden in the darkness of the night. His chakra was masked, telling her that he was a shinobi.

Frowning, she deliberated if she should approach, and then decided that no one really had any reason to harm her. Besides, with her strength, she could easily defend herself, right? There were plenty of trees around for her to uproot and swing around, after all.

Mind made up, she made her way across the rocky ground between the village gates and the forest. The man eventually came into full view, and Sakura let her eyes roam over his figure before stopping a few steps away. He was facing away from her, half shielded by the flourishing trees and shrubs at the edge of the forest, was not familiar in any manner. There was a shock of blonde hair on top of his head and the rest of his body was covered in a jet black cloak, leaving only the back of his sandaled feet visible.

"Who are you?" she asked, not bothering to hide her cautious tone.

The man turned around slowly, his blue eyes darting in different directions behind her, obviously in a move to ascertain if she was alone. His suspicious behavior made her tense even further. As far as she knew, no one was out to get her, but one could never tell.

He gestured deeper into the forest. "Come."

His voice…

She frowned as recognition tingled, but her defenses shot high when his instruction sank in. Bristling, she snapped, "How stupid do you think I am, following a stranger into the forest in the middle of the night?"

There was a gleam of annoyance in his blue eyes, so blue that it reminded her of Naruto, before he spoke. "It is not secure out here."

Her lips thinned. She wanted to know who it was, but was it worth the risk? She took another moment to decide eventually that worse come to worse, she would simply bring the whole forest down with the two of them. A little over the top, perhaps, but it would definitely work.

But not before she had some insurance.

Inclining her head at the katana strapped to his back, Sakura demanded, "Give that to me."

He raised a brow, obviously surprised. "Why?"

"Something for me to play with, that why," she snapped irritably. "Just give it to me if you want me to follow you in there."

He deliberated for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, and then, with an oddly familiar irritated sigh, he detached the weapon from his back and tossed it at her. "Do not drop it," he cautioned.

She caught the katana and held it tight by her side, eyes not leaving the blonde haired, blue-eyed man. No sane ninja would toss his weapon at a stranger, which meant that this man either was confident that he did not need his weapon to subdue her, or he truly meant her no harm. If it was the former, then she doubted that anything she could do right now would stop him anyway.

With a huff, she jerked her head at the forest. "Let's go."

He nodded curtly, a motion which, again, seemed eerily familiar. She was beginning to think that he was someone she knew, just under a disguise jutsu. So who could it be? Someone from Konoha, no doubt, she thought as she walked into the forest with him, ignoring the wet leaves squelching into the mud under her feet.

The moment the man deemed that they were far enough from Yugakure to be safe, he turned to her.

And then his henge dropped, exposing his real identity.

Sakura could only stare in shock.

"S-Sasuke?"

The man before her inclined his head in that familiar, brief jerk, before returning, "Sakura."

She was at a loss for words, as stunned as she was to see him there. "What… What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

They studied each other silently, and it did not escape her notice that he lingered over her dress longer than necessary. Well, she did not have to explain anything to him, let alone something so personal like a date. She had to admit that he did not look too bad, despite the tired look in his eyes and the overall slenderness which seemed to afflict missing nins in general. He was dressed in a grey mesh top and dark pants, both mostly covered under a pitch black cloak.

She raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. This was surreal, she decided. She and Naruto had spent so many years looking for Sasuke that for him to turn up like this was almost unbelievable. But she just about managed to keep calm enough to voice the most important question on her mind.

"Why?"

Only then did she see the first hint of emotion on his features. Sasuke was uneasy with what he was about to say, and it showed in the way his dark eyes flickered.

"You once said you'll do anything for me?" he asked, sounding uncomfortable.

She gaped when she recalled the night she had said those words, and instantly flushed in embarrassment. She was so naïve back then, and the last thing she wanted was to be reminded of it. Her voice was tight when she replied, "Well, that was more than six years ago, Sasuke."

His eyes snapped up to hers, as if puzzled. By what, she had no idea. But it did not take him long to recover the blank mask he always wore. "I need a medic."

"A medic," she echoed.

"I heard you are the best, next to Tsunade."

Realization dawned, and Sakura found herself fighting to keep calm instead of lashing out in anger. Oh, so, he wanted her for her skills. So many years of separation and he did not even bother to ask how she was. He simply went straight to the point, and asked for her help. Who did the bastard think he was? He could not just abandon them and then come running back when he needed a medic.

She should just punch him in the face and leave him here for the wildlife.

The silence between them was thick as she stared at him, while he seemed to be studying some indistinct spot on a tree trunk unmovingly.

And then her anger deflated when she noted just how tense Sasuke was. This was not easy for him at all, she thought, watching him work the muscles of his jaw. Her medic side kicked in soon afterwards, and she ran her eyes down his body. She could not discern any visible wounds but that did not mean that there was none.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, gentling her tone.

"In a manner of speaking," he muttered.

Concern for him flared up, and she stepped closer until they were about an arm's length apart. That close, she could see the lines of strain around his eyes and lips. Whatever he had was clearly troubling him.

"Tell me," she coaxed.

"My chakra. Something is affecting it."

Frowning slightly at the oddness of it, Sakura wondered how he managed to sustain something which affected such a basic thing. Holding out her hands, now glowing green with chakra, she asked, "I'll have to scan you."

A curt nod was the only response she received.

Knowing that she needed both hands available, she handed him his katana, "Here."

He simply nodded as he took it from her.

Taking a deep breath, and realizing that this would be the first time she touched Sasuke with his consent after so many years, she pressed against him. He stiffened immediately but displayed no further reaction as the scan progressed. She kept her touch light, barely skimming the surface of his full, length black cloak, frowning as she continued to probe his system. His chakra seemed to be fine, on its own, but there was a foreign presence in his body which seemed to be disrupting it.

After a while, she drew back, giving him a questioning look. "Well, you have some foreign chakra inside your body."

He did not seem surprised by her words. "Can you fix it?" he asked instead.

"Tell me how you got it."

"An opponent gave it to me," he replied shortly, eyes not meeting hers.

Her lips thinned. "I suggest that you cooperate if you want me to heal you, Sasuke."

His eyes shot up, surprise clearly written on his dark orbs. What? He had not expected her to challenge or question him? Did he not notice that she was not quite the same twelve-year-old Sakura anymore?

A light breeze swept by, and she pushed her hair behind her ear as she continued to stare uncompromisingly at him. "Who gave it to you, Sasuke?"

Annoyance flashed across his features, wiping away his surprise. "A Kumo nin," he finally admitted in a grudging tone.

A Kumo nin, huh? It was not something she had encountered before, but that was not surprising. She guessed missing-nins like Sasuke did encounter much more hostile forces that she had ever done.

"Be more careful the next time." She took a moment to consider her next steps. "I'll have to disperse the foreign chakra, so it will feel a little uncomfortable, okay."

He nodded once.

"Now sit down. It will take a while," she told him as she dropped to her knees.

After a moment of hesitation, Sasuke followed suit, and lowered himself to his knees, facing her. Without further ado, she placed her hands on his chest and set to work on him, her focus fixed on threading her chakra into his system to locate and release the trapped foreign chakra. Sasuke said nothing while she treated him, but she was fully aware of the pressure of his gaze. He seemed to be watching her rather intently, and she had to admit that it felt rather unnerving.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, she bit out, "Do you mind stopping that?"

She felt him tense under her palms, which were still pressed against his chest. After a moment, he rumbled his agreement, and she felt the pressure ease, telling her that he had removed his gaze from her. Exhaling loudly, she refocused her attention on extracting the foreign chakra. It would not take much longer, she deduced, when the intensity of the foreign chakra became less prominent.

"You have been a medic for long?" he asked suddenly.

Surprised at the question, she darted a look at Sasuke to find that he was staring in the distance, somewhat thoughtfully. "I began training since you left," she informed him.

"Hn."

She smiled slightly at the familiar sound.

After a while, she ran her glowing palms over him once again. Detecting no foreign chakra, she announced with satisfaction, "All done. You're as good as new."

She straightened to her feet, stretching to iron out the kinks in her body from staying stationary for so many hours. The sensation of her joints popping felt so good that she could almost groan out loud. A yawn escaped her then, reminding her that hours had passed since midnight and she had not had any sleep.

"I'm sorry."

Startled, she blinked at him mid-stretch. "What?"

"For leaving you on the bench."

Her jaws clamped tight at those words and she looked away, arms dropping to her side. It had been so long ago that it should not hurt, but damn it, every time she thought of that day, she wanted to tear up. So she said nothing in response to him.

"And thank you. Again."

His voice was quiet, almost too quiet, and she knew with certainty that he would leave her again. Her eyes snapped up, just in time to see him take one step back away from her.

"Sasuke, wait."

And then he was gone in a cloud of smoke. Gone before she could ask him if he would return to Konoha with her once things went back to normal. When Tsunade was once again in control of the village.

For a while, she only stared at the space Sasuke had been standing in just a minute ago, and then she released a heavy sigh. The last thing she had expected was to encounter Sasuke here, of all places, let alone having him actively searching her out. She really did not know what to think of this, but there were many questions on her mind.

Would Sasuke seek her out again? And if he did, should she persuade him to join them in a coup to take Konoha back from Danzou? Would Sasuke even agree if she asked? Was he still loyal to Konoha in the first place?

Sakura frowned at the last question. No, Sasuke was not really a traitor, so she guessed there was a change that he would agree, now that his revenge was complete. Her frown cleared, to be replaced by a small smile when she realized how idiotic her thoughts were.

Yeah, of course Sasuke would help them. They could be Team 7 all over again.

Right?

000

A/N: We are two-thirds through this story, and I'm seriously considering finishing off this fic before updating the next chapter of The Return of the Heir. I'd like your opinion, though, so please let me know, okay? Thanks!

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